Automatic gas-burning heating system



N. B. WALES. AUTOMATIC GAS BURNING HEAUNG SYSTEM.

/ APPLICATION HLEE) OCT. 5. 1921, v 1,41%1 16D P ten dllmg 6, 1922.

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N. B. WALES. AUTOMATIC GAS BURNING HEATING SYSTEM.

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AUTOMATIC GAS BURNING HEATING SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5. 1921.

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. lW Q JO (Parnel NATHANIEL B. WALES, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PATENT OFFICE.

THE WALES COMPANY, OF KALA'MAZOO, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC GAS-BURNING HEATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6,1922.

Application filed October 5, 1921. Serial a... 505,651.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL B. WALES, a. citizen of the United States, residing at 319 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachu setts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gas-Burning Heatin Systems, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to automatically controlled heating systems employing a gaseous fuel and in which steam, water or air may be used as the circulative heating medium.

For the purpose of the present disclosure, I have shown a steam heating plant. As in my prior application, the objects of my invention are to obtain complete automaticity with erfect safety which is attained by the imme iate shutting off of the fuel supply upon the failure of any part of the heater to properly function. The gas, supply is controlled directly by the air pressure from the blower and the latter is automatically cut-ofi in case the steam pressure exceeds a predetermined maximum or the water in the boiler falls below the proper level.

In the following detailed description, I shall refer to the accompanying drawings in which-Figure 1 is a top plan view of a 4 heating plant embodying my invention; Fig.

2 is a central vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the automatic water level and steam pressure control device; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View of the pilot light and its control mechanism; Fig. 5 is an end view, partly .in'section, of the pilot light mechanism shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same looking in the direction of the arrows 6, 6 in Fig.4.

The heater is built upon the structural principles disclosed in my said prior application and to that end is designed to prevent external radiation of the very high temperatures attained in the incandescent mass of fire brick packing and to enhance the heat absorption of the water containing surfaces within the structure of the heater.

The heater comprises an outer water-containing shell 1 and an inner heating chamber 2, crossed by the obliquely disposed water tubes 4 and filled with a-mass offire brick bodies 5. This heating chamber is provided with an upper flue connection 7 and a lower burner inlet tube 8 to which the nozzle houscompresses the ing 9 is connected. The outer casing is provided with a steam outlet 10 and a water return connection 12.

The blower 15 which supplies the air blast.

for the burner nozzle and the electro driving motor 16 are enclosed in a sound proof casing 17 A motor relay switch and a step-down transformer to reduce the voltage of the mains for this switch are merely indicated conventionally at 19 and 18 respectively, since these are well-known devices.

The normal water level in heater casing is indicated by the dotted line 20. A waterlevel control device is contained in a small casing 23, connected to the boiler or heater casing by upper and lower pipes 24 and 25. When the water level falls slightly below the upper pipe 24,- the float 27 descends sufficiently to lower the valve 28, thereby permitting water to flow from the pipe 29 connected with the city water mains. If, for any reason, the water level should fall down to the level of the lower pipe 25, the weight of the float, acting through a rod or stem 30, sylphon bellows 32 and thereby withdraws the contact 34 from engagement with its cooperating spring-arm contact 35, which are connected through the cable 36 with the motor 16, thus shutting off the power from the blower.

Again, if the steam pressure should rise too high, the pressure is communicated through the water in the chamber 23 to the interior of the sylphon bellows. As the lat- 41. After the gas passesthe valve it enters the chamber 43 and passes to the nozzle 9 through the annular orifice 45 where it is drawn. into the stream of air issuing from the air nozzle 46, forming a combustible mixture that burns with an intensely hot flame -as it issues from the nozzle 9 and and impinges upon the fire clay briquettes 5.

The opening of 'the gas valve is controlled by the static pressure created by the air issuing from the blower. A disk 50 closes the discharge opening of the blower and is held with a loose fit in an annular enlargement of the air nozzzle casting to portion of the air permit slight forward and backward movement. 51 which is centrally disposed to permit that having the highest velocity to pass directly to the nozzle. A spider 52 carries a pin 53 which is slidingly guided in a fixed bracket 54, and bears against one arm of a bell-crank lever .56, the other arm bearing against a stem 57 which carries a weight 58. The lower end of the stem of the gas valve 41 rests upon the top of the weight, so thatas the weight is. moved upwardly the valve is lifted from its seat. V

The manner in which the gas valve is controlled by the operation of the blower will be apparent from the description of the structural parts. The valve remains closed until the speed of the blower is sufficient to maintain a predetermined pressure at the nozzle. When this is attained the static pressure acting upon the rear of the disk is sufficient to move the diskoutwardly with a force necessary to lift-the weight 58 and open the valve 41. If the blower should decrease its speed or cease to operate, the weight will fall, moving the disk 50 back to initial position and permitting the valve to seat. It is evident, therefore, that the gas cannot flow to the nozzle until and unless air is supplied to the nozzle at the predetermined pressure.

The combustible mixture is ignited by a pilot flame 60 which is housed in an 0 set 9 in the nozzle casting and projects into the opening 9". A gas supply pipe" 62 is connected to the pilot nozzle 63, which is provided with a needle valve 64 that may be adjusted by removing the screw plug 65.

The pilot flame may be inspected through a mica window 67. Before the blower is in operation the air to support combustion of the pilot flame is drawn in through the opening 68. The pressure created in the nozzle and by the resistance of the fire brick ball in the heating chamber 2, causes a back pressure which would overcome the natural draft through the opening 68 and extin uisli the flame. To overcome this tendency troduce a stream of air through the opening 68 which completely counteracts the back pressure from the nozzle so that the pilot flame burns steadily with the flame in the same position irrespective of whether the blower is in operation. This counter draft is produced by connecting a nozzle 70 by means of a small pipe 71 with the discharge opening or mouth of the blower at the point 72.

It is important that the blower should be stopped and the supply of gas cut off instantly in case the pilot flame is extinguished. For this purpose I connect a ther- I The disk is provided with an orifice- 7 air having the hig from the blower,

indicated wires of the motor circuit at 36, one of the wires being connected to a yield ably mounted contact 75 and the other wire to a thermostat bar 76, the latter being secured to one face of a metal disk 78 which closes an openin in the outer wall of the nozzle casting. 1% bar 80 of copper or other good heat conductor, is secured to the face of the mtal disk 78, directly opposite the thermostatic bar 76, so that the bar 80 will practically constitute a continuation of the thermostatic bar and will conduct its heat directly to it. The bar 80 projects directly over the pilot flame as indicated in F ig. 4. By this construction the thermostat is directly affected and controlled by the pilot flame and at the same time the nozzle casing orhousing is tightly closed so that no gas can escape and roar of the burner is suppressed. As long as the pilot is ignited the thermostatic bar'7 6 maintains the motor circuit closed at the contact 75, but in case it extinguished the thermostat 76 moves away from the contact 75 and opens the motor circuit. The thermostat and spring pressed contact are enclosed in a protective housin 81.

'I cla1m:

1. In a heating system of the type described, a burner nozzle having an air inlet and ages inlet, a gas supply conduit connected to said inlet provided with a controlling valve, a motor-driven blower connected to said air inlet and arranged to supply air under pressure, a disk mounted wit said air inlet to permit a limited to and fro movement and actuated in one disaid disk having a central aperture to provide a direct passa e for that portion of the est velocity as it issues and an operative connection between said disk and said valve.

2. An organization as set forth in claim 1, said connection between the disk and the valve comprising a lever mechanism.

3. In a heating system of the type described, a burner, a burner nozzle having an air inlet and a gas inlet, a gas supply conduit connected to said inlet provided with a weighted controlling valve, a motor-driven blower connected to said air inlet and arranged to supply, air under pressure, a disk loosely mounted within said air inlet to permit a limited to and fro movement andactuated in one direction by the impingement of air thereon, said disk having a central aperture to provide a direct passage for that portion of the air having the highest velocity as it issues from the blower, and a lever oprgatively connecting said valve and said In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NATHANIEL B. WALES. 

